Gordon Hayward
RETIRED

Player Facts

Height: 6'7"
Weight: 227lbs.

Wingspan: 6'7.75"

Date of Birth:
Mar. 23, 1990
College Experience: Butler (2 years)

Selections

All Star: 1
All-NBA: 0
All-Defensive: 0

Player Grades

Speed/Explosiveness: 7
Physical Strength: 8
Positional Size: 8
Positional Wingspan: 6
Paint Scoring: 7
Midrange Scoring: 8
Three-Point Scoring: 8
Dribbling: 7
Passing: 8
Perimeter Defense: 7
Interior Defense: 5
Rebounding: 7

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JUMP TO SECTION

> Intro

> Far-Reaching Scoring Package

> Midrange Work

> Playmaking Wing

> Notable Off-Ball Value

> Smart Defense

> Point of Attack Defense

> Isolation Defense + Rebounding

> Complacency + Offensive Dilemmas

> Pull-Up Inaccuracies

> Beacon Bacon

>Link to Player Contract & Salary Info

*All short clips courtesy of Z. Highlights, Smart Highlights, and NF (YouTube)

*All statistical data courtesy of NBA Advanced Stats

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STRENGTHS

Intro

Gordon Hayward, retired as of July 2024, had reconfigured what he brings to the table after years as the number one option in Utah. After a gruesome injury in his first game suiting up for the Celtics, Gordon worked his way back to re-establish himself as a positive contributor. He was an expert point forward at 6'7", 225 lbs., capable of playing on or off-the-ball.

The Butler product was a high IQ, well-rounded basketball player. He was more of a jack of all trades, master of none type. Hayward paired his stat-stuffing with effort-based things like boxing out, cutting with purpose, running hard in transition, and bringing defensive intensity.

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Far-Reaching Scoring Package

From a scoring standpoint, Hayward was both capable and efficient from essentially all areas. He nailed layups, floaters, runners, threes from every spot, and midrange jumpers all with solid accuracy. Gordon loved to operate out of the high pick-and-roll so that virtually all of his shooting zones were ripe for usage.

He had a great stop-and-go game coming off the ball screen. Hayward alwayed plays at his own pace, using his muscular frame to methodically work his way towards the rim. Pivots and up-fakes were commonplace for Gordon to obtain easy close-range jumpers.

Hayward took what the defense conceded as the initiator of the pick-and-roll. He could score via drives to the tin or pull-up jumpers from two and three alike. He averaged 3.9 points per game as the ball-handler here in 2019-2020. This bested T.J. Warren, Josh Richardson, and Jordan Clarkson.

His big upper body allowed him to absorb contact at the rim. While not as high a flyer as his Utah Jazz self, Gordon remained efficient with physicality and finesse. He maintained great composure to remain accurate amid multiple bodies.

Hayward nailed 62.1% of his shots right at the rim in 2021-2022. Also that year, he drove quite often with a 8.3 drives per game figure that beat out Jerami Grant, Jordan Poole, Kyle Lowry, and Harrison Barnes.

Midrange Work

He carried his shot-making right into the midrange. Gordon would use both screen-and-rolls and dribble handoffs to get going into the midrange. Once there, he had an affinity for the plant and spinaround jumper.

He could stabilize himself swiftly after first gliding into the midrange. Similar to the rest of his game, patience and balance were at the core of his success here. With his great footwork, he connected on almost half of all his midrange looks in 2021-2022, 49.1% to be exact.

Gordon could ably create his own shot when given the chance. He had a simplistic one-on-one approach that got him to his spots. Hayward used hesitations, in-and-outs, and then little step-backs as his primary ways of creating separation.

Playmaking Wing

Gordon's playmaking prowess was robust for a big forward such as himself. He was an effortless facilitator within the screen-and-roll who kept his turnovers under control. He had a natural gauge for making pocket pinpoint passes and lobs.

He was not your average passer off the swing. When situated along the perimeter, Hayward weighed his options as the play is unfolding. This allowed for remarkably quick decisions once the ball gets to him. On-ball, he generally saw the floor well coming off-ball screens.

Hayward had the advanced feel to make high-level passes on the catch against scrambling defenses. He wasn't resigned to strictly shooting or making the basic next pass once he got the ball. Instead, he could fire into the paint or skip it crosscourt.

2019-2020 saw Gordon post 10.6 assist points created on a per-night basis. This brought him into the top-20 here among all forwards and centers that year. More specifically, Hayward ended up edging out guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dennis Schroder, and Dejounte Murray with that 10.6 figure.

He spread his passes out to all teammates too, averaging 5+ passes per game to Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, and Daniel Theis in his last Celtic campaign. Over in Charlotte and now OKC, he fit in neatly within multiple ball-handler styles. The point-forward delivered 350+ passes to each of Terry Rozier, LaMelo Ball, and Devonte' Graham in 2020-2021.

Notable Off-Ball Value

Gordon fit like a glove next to other star offensive talent. He had nice instincts when moving without the basketball. This and his perimeter shooting proficiency let him slot anywhere from the first to the fourth option on the hardwood.

As a cutter, Hayward threw in jukes and hard stops that could shed his man. In 2019-2020, he finished 68.2% of his shots off cuts. This placed him squarely in the league's 67th percentile. 2021-2022 had him in the 70th percentile.

Gordon also spot up well from downtown. He had a good mental clock, curbing the urge to hurry his shot motion against a dwindling shot-clock. Additionally, the 6'7" Hayward could shoot over most perimeter players that run out to him.

He finished up 2019-2020 with Boston in the 87th percentile for spot-up scoring. His 1.20 points per possession here was better than some of the league's best snipers. His overall catch-and-shoot mark from three was a glimmering 42.5%. 2021-2022 saw him convert on 37.4% of these shots.

Smart Defense

Hayward was a low-error, dependable team defender. He was a good defensive communicator within the five-man unit. Furthermore, he could sniff out where a certain action is headed and make a disruptive play. Gordon also did things that may seem trivial but are vital as a weakside defender, such as tagging rollers and getting back.

He could defend multiple positions well. The versatile Gordon used both physicality and smarts to guard positions 2-4. In the post, he fronted aggressively and bodies up taller guys with his firm build. He permitted a respectable 0.92 points per possession on post-ups in 2019-2020.

Point of Attack Defense

Gordon put forth the effort required to defend the game's premier shooters. He typically wasn't guarding the opposition's number one option, so he did his part fighting through screens against others. Hayward even got some deflections in these spots – 1.9 per game in 2020-2021.

He was also adept at quashing dribble handoffs, enough to hold opponents to 0.81 points per possession here in 2019-2020. That figure was the exact same as defensively strong forward Aaron Gordon.

Isolation Defense + Rebounding

Last but not least was Gordon's defensive work during isolation sequences. He would keep an arm extended to bother the offensive player. His size and lateral quickness undoubtedly played a role here as well.

Hayward was in the 71st percentile defending in isolation in 2019-2020. As a final note, Gordon used his size to make an impact on the boards. He brought down 5.6 defensive rebounds per game that year.

WEAKNESSES

Complacency + Offensive Dilemmas

He could get into stretches where he settled for midrangers instead of better shots in the painted area, He'd complacently stop and pop from the midrange when he could be seeking out contact at the basket.

Quantifying his suboptimal inside shot rate is simple. He took 3.6 shots per contest in the restricted area over 2019-2020. Undersized guards Fred VanVleet and Collin Sexton put up 5.0 and 6.1 respectively.

Pull-Up Inaccuracies

The gap between Gordon's pull-up triple accuracy and his catch-and-shoot percentages was worrisomely large. These off-the-dribble shots were largely better-contested, therefore some drop-off is expected.

Even still, Hayward's 2018-2019 difference of 9.5% and 2019-2020 drop of 13.1% are particularly concerning (catch-and-shoot vs. pull-up). As a Charlotte Hornet, the disparity gap became even wider. 2020-2021 had him at 45.3% on catch-and-shoot treys while hitting only 31.7% of his off-the-bounce threes.

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bacon
Beacon Bacon

Gordon Hayward experienced a near-one foot of growth over his high school years which immeasurably strengthened his stock as a hoops prospect